October 20, 2019 “Pumpkins” (*1/2 out of four) was a by-the-numbers horror show about a group of explorers (Sarah Jayne Curry, Roland Martial, Craig Edwards, and others) in Northern England who are besieged and terrorized by “Pumpkinman” (Will Metheringham)- a deceased man who has been reincarnated with a pumpkin as his face! Strictly for horror fans who will rent anything in the Redbox machines. Even the beautiful England scenery looks dull. Continue reading →
October 19, 2019 “The Lighthouse” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring melodrama about two lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) in the 1890’s who fight for control over their lighthouse and try to maintain their sanity. If you make it to the end of this, you’ll know exactly how they feel. Incredibly dull movie has such little plot and so little happens that it’s jarring. Even Dafoe’s effortless charisma can’t breathe any life into this one. Many critics thought highly of this movie but I’m not among them. Jarin Blaschke’s striking black-and-white cinematography is film’s sole virtue. Continue reading →
October 19, 2019 “Deadcon” (** out of four) was a trifling horror thriller about a group of social media stars (Lauren Elizabeth and Claudia Sulewski) who soon find that they are endangered and being stalked by someone unknown through their various social media accounts. Thinly done horror satire about the world of social media and youth culture comes up short on both scares and laughs. Even at only 78 minutes, this starts running on empty pretty quickly. Continue reading →
October 19, 2019 “Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil” (** out of four) was an earthbound sequel to the surprise 2014 hit about Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) beginning to question their complex family ties which bind them and they are subsequently pulled in different directions by the evil Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer). Full of sparkling visual effects and eye-candy cinematography but story lacks any real sense of wonder and is too lumpy. Works best in the final third which features some spectacular battle scenes. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) may like this better but this still feels like another unnecessary sequel. Continue reading →
October 19, 2019 “Trick” (** out of four) was a tiresome horror thriller about a determined detective (Omar Epps) pursuing a mass murderer named Trick who is terrorizing a small town and scaring the locals (Jamie Kennedy, Tom Atkins, and others) but he begins to realize that this killer may not be able to be stopped. Gory and stylish for a little while but then wears out as film begins to grow repetitive and loses steam. Filled with familiar faces from earlier horror classics but still not enough treats overall for horror genre fans. Continue reading →
October 19, 2019 “Gothic Harvest” (** out of four) was an undercooked Southern horror flick about four college friends (Abbie Gayle, Tanyell Waivers, Ashton Leigh, Mary Alice Risener) who head to New Orleans for some partying and vacation but they soon meet a guy (Ashley Hamilton) who is not what he seems and all goes astray. Not bad, with some good performances from the girls and a few stylish gore scenes, though it never fully rises above the routine although if you’ve ever wanted to see Bill Moseley play a hard-boiled cop- this is the movie for you. Lin Shaye chews the scenery as the matriarch of their demented family. Continue reading →
October 18, 2019 “100 Acres Of Hell” (*1/2 out of four) was a pretty stupid horror pic about a former wrestler (Gene Snisky) who ventures out for a weekend with his friends (Jeff Swanton and Jim Roof) to a wildlife preserve where there they are besieged and terrorized and must fight back in order to stay alive. Standard issue stalk-and-slash fare without much originality or style. Former WWE wrestler Snisky is pretty stiff and amateurish even in playing a former pro wrestler. It’s movies like these that make you realize how much “Deliverance” (and even “Wrong Turn”) were masterworks all those years ago. Continue reading →
October 17, 2019 “The Drone” (** out of four) was a not-bad horror story about a newly married couple (Sam Adegoke and Anita Briem) who become terrorized by a consumer drone whose mind is synched with a deranged serial killer. Ultimately too pat and predictable to really take off but it’s reasonably well-directed and some of the murders by the done are nifty and well-staged. B-movie actor Rex Linn resurfaces after a while and has a minor part as an investigator who meets a humorous death. Continue reading →
October 16, 2019 “Stressed To Death” (*1/2 out of four) was a scattershot thriller about an EMT worker (Gina Holden) who had to make a life-or-death decision that resulted in a man dying. Ten years later, the man’s wife (Sarah Alden) hatches a murderous plan of kidnapping and revenge but all does not go as planned. Intriguing story goes nowhere, due to heavy handed direction and writing and some laughable dialogue and acting. Holden’s sincere performance is film’s only line of vitality. Continue reading →
October 15, 2019 “Zombieland: Double Tap” (** out of four) was a mindless sequel to the 2009 comic hit featuring the survivors from the original (Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and Jesse Eisenberg) moving to the American heartland as they have to face off against an evolved breed of zombies that threaten society as we know it. Director Ruben Fleischer employs the same in-your-face action, comedy, and stylistics from the original but it feels like an unnecessary retread and runs out of steam after a while. Harrelson’s gonzo performance and good chemistry between all of the leads give this as much fuel as it can but it still mostly fires blanks. Continue reading →
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